Laborers’ union denies local votes for 15 years

Laborers’ union says big local has been under supervision since inception because of instability.

Paula Randazzo, a former long-time business manager with LIUNA's Local 1110, resigned last November, complaining of that it had become "anti-democratic."

By:Tony Van AlphenStaff Reporter, Published on Sun May 06 2012

A prominent union has denied thousands of workers the right to elect leaders in one of its biggest locals for 15 years, but a top official insists the organization’s governing practices are “impeccable.”

The local, representing more than 5,000 health-care workers, has been under “provisional” status since its inception in 1997 without elections because of instability and poor management, according to the powerful Canadian head of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).

“When a new local union is provisional and going through growing pains, it is not unusual to postpone elections until stability is established in the local,” Joe Mancinelli, Canadian manager and a vice-president of the U.S.-based international union, said in an email.

“LIUNA local unions have elections every four years. Our record for practising and embracing the democratic process is impeccable.”

He did not respond to questions about why the problems of the Ontario Federation of Health Care Workers Local 1110 have not been solved.

Mancinelli, who has supervised Local 1110 and appointed most of the top officials over the years, blamed its long-time former business manager Paula Randazzo for the postponement of elections.

He accused her of “ineffective, sloppy management” and lack of servicing to members.

Randazzo countered that Mancinelli’s continuing “anti-democratic and dictatorial” changes hurt the welfare of workers. The former manager said she found it so intolerable that she resigned last November.

“If I was so incompetent, you would think he would have acted to fix it and get rid of me a long time ago,” said Randazzo, who has joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners union.

Mancinelli did not indicate when Local 1110 would hold elections, even though some members are starting to question the Laborers’ union position.

A group of members applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board recently for an order that would force votes for local executive positions. They argued the lack of elections constitutes an unfair labour practice under provincial legislation.

More than 300 members have also petitioned Terry O’Sullivan, the international union’s president in Washington, for elections.

“After 15 years, it is time for our local’s representation to come from the working members and not officers appointed by the international union,” said member Christine Lockett, a support worker at the Westmount Long Term Care facility in Kitchener.

“I’m sure you will agree that democracy delayed is democracy denied and will therefore agree to my request.”

Lockett said O’Sullivan has not responded to her letter. The international union did not return calls to the Star.

The push for elections comes at a time when Local 1110 is also facing raids from the Carpenters union, which is going after 1,200 workers at several long-term and home-care operations. Randazzo said she has led the raids against her former union to improve workers’ wages, benefits, conditions and their democratic rights.

Labour watchers say most unions are representative and accountable, and it is rare that a local would not hold regular elections every three or four years.

“This is the type of thing that would give unions a bad name,” said Pradeep Kumar, a professor emeritus at Queen’s University who specializes in labour relations and workplace change.

Anil Verma, a labour relations professor at the University of Toronto, said cases involving questions of voting rights have public interest implications because unions have tax-free status and should be democratic and open to members.

“I think workers should be praised for asking and getting what is due them,” Verma added.

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